Method of forming sliders for slide fasteners



A. E. CARLILE 3,041,714

METHOD OF FORMING SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1958 Y N E w h. T 0 w A METHOD OF FORMING SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed June 9, 1958 A. E. CARLILE July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALF/e50 Ema/1E BY W 6 Qw i H fi J United States Patent 3,041,714- METI-IOD F FURMING SLIDERS FOR SHADE FASTENERS Alfred E. Carhle, Meadville, Pa, assignor to Talon, Inc, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 9, 1958, Ser. No. 740,872 9 Claims. (til. 29-409) This invention relates to sliders for slide fasteners, and more particularly to a method of forming sliders generally of the type disclosed in the patent to Sundback, No. 1,661,- 114, issued February 28, 1938, and Poux, No. 1,991,189 issued March 14, 1933.

It is the general practice to form sliders for slide fasteners from continuous length flat metallic stock by the so-called coined slider method as disclosed in the aforementioned patent or the so-called fiat formed method. In both methods, the slider blanks are partially formed in the strip so as to provide a series of interconnected slider blanks. These slider blanks are then blanked therefrom so as to provide individual slider blanks. In forming the slider blanks by either method, a large amount of scrap results which, of course, is undesirable. Also, by either method partially formed slider blanks are individually transferred from one machine to another for performing the necessary sequence of operations thereon until the slider is completed. This individual handling of each slider blank and body for each forming operation is not only laborious and tedious but requires a number of pieces of expensive and complicated equipment and machines.

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved method of forming sliders wherein no scrap results from the fabrication of the slider bodies and the time for forming the same and the amount of equipment needed for such forming is reduced to a minimum. In the method of the present invention, a continuous length of metallic stock is progressively subjected to a series of forming operations by rolling so as to progressively produce a connected series of slider blanks that can be severed from the strip after the last rolling operation thereby eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of forming sliders which is simple and economical and, at the same time, efijcient and effective.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved method of forming sliders wherein a continuous length of round metallic stock is fed to and between a plurality of rolls which not only flatten the stock but simultaneously form a series of interconnected slider blanks in the strip.

It is a further object of this invention to: provide a method of forming sliders from a continuous length metallic strip wherein the edges of the strip are formed to shape by means of contour rolls in a substantially continuous operation so as to provide a series of interconnected slider blanks with the outer contours completely finished by the contour rolling thereby eliminating any blanking operations which would result in producing scrap.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment and a modification thereof which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is diagrammatic plan view of the rolls for forming slider blanks of one type in accordance with my invention showing a continuous length of metallic strip passing therethrough to form slider blanks from the strip,

' metal of the strip during such shaping.

3,h4l,7l4 i atented July 3, 1962 ice FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the slider blanks formed by this modified method after it has been cut from the formed strip and the flanges formed thereon,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the blank shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a side view of a slider body after the wing portions of the slider blank have been bent to final form,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the slider body shown in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic plan view similar to FIG. 1, of the rolls for forming the slider blanks of another type in accordance with the present invention, showing a continuous length of metallic strip passing therethrough to FIG. 9 is a plan view of one of the slider blanks after 7 strip and the flanges it has been cut from the formed formed thereon,

FIG. 10 is a side view of the slider blank shown in FIG. 9, 4

FIG. 11 is aside view of a slider body after the wing portions of the slider blank have bent to final form, and

'FIG. 12 is a plan view of the slider body shown in FIG. 11.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of opposed flattening rolls 2 and a pair of opposed contour rolls 3 arranged in tandem relative to each other for-shaping the strip to form one type or coined slider blank in accordance with the present invention. These rolls 2 and 3 are secured to shafts 2a and 3a, respectively, which are adapted to be rotated by any suitable means (not shown). There is also provided with the contour rolls 3 preferably a pair of opposed smooth surfaced rolls 5 which are arranged at right angles to the contour rolls 3. In FIG. 2 there is shown, in addition, a coining press 6 and a severing or cut-01f die 7.

In practicing the invention, a roundstrip of metallic stock is fed to and between the flattening rolls 2 whereby the strip is rolled and flattened to the desired thickness so as to provide a flat strip S. The flat strip then passes between the contour rolls 3 and the smooth surfaced rolls 5. These contour rolls 3 shape both edges of the strip as at 25, and the rolls 5 confine the how of the In shaping the edges of the strip in such a manner, it will be seen that there is provided in the strip a series of connected shapes with each having the general configuration of a slider blank. i

The strip S then passes to the coining die 6 where the blanks B are finally shaped in the strip and substantially a diamond-shaped thickened portion 8 is formed at spacedapart intervals therealong so as to provide a series of interconnected slider blanks B with each blank consisting of a pair of wing portions 9 connected by a relatively narrow portion 10. The strip 3 then passes to the severing or cut-off die 7 wherein the slider blanks B are successively cut from the end of the strip. The individual blanks B are then fed to a suitable flanging die (not shown) wherein the marginal flanges 12 are bent up from the wing portions 9 thereof so as to provide an individual slider blank, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It will be seen then that this finished slider blank consists of a'pair of identical channeled wing portions 9 interconnected by relatively narrow portion Ill and the cationi raised diamond-shaped portion 8. The slider blank is then bent to completed form by bending the wing portions toward one another at the narrow portion 10, so as to provide a finished slider, as shownin FIGS. and 6, having a pair of spaced-apart wing portionsarranged in parallelism connected at one end by a neck portion whereby a channel is provided therebetween in'a' manner well known to those skilled in the art.

In FIGS. 7 through 1-2 of the drawings, there is shown equipment for forming another type of slider body which is more commonly known as the flat formed type. In

FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a series of pairs of opposed contour rolls 12, 13 and 14 arranged in tandem which are secured toshafts 12a, 13a and 14a,-respec'- 'tively. These shafts are adapted to be rotated by any suitable means (not shown). With each of these pairs of contour rolls 12,13 and 14, there is arranged on suitable shafts at rightangle's thereto, a pair of opposed flattening rolls 15, 16 and 17, respectively. In FIG. 8 there is shown in addition, severing orcut-oflf die 18.

' In this method, round metallic stock is fed first to'ancl between the first pair of contour rolls 12 and associated flattening rolls 15 whereby the stock is simultaneously flattened by the rolls 12 and both edges of the strip S are partially shaped, as at 30, by the contourrolls 12 so as to provide in the, strip a series of connected shapes with each, as before, having the general configuration of a slider blank. The strip S then passes between the V .next pair of contour rolls 13 and associated'fiattening rolls 16 wherein the strip is further flattened and the edges of the strip shaped further so as to providej more pronounced slider blanks'in the strip. The strip then passes between the final pair of contour rolls 14 and the associate flattening rolls 17 whereby the strip, is rolled to its desired thickness and the edges of the strip are further shaped by the contour rolls 14 so as to provide a series of interconnected slider blanks 'B." The strip is then fed to the severing die 18 wherein individual slider blanks B are successively cut from the end of the strip.

The blanks are then fed to a suitable flanging die '(not shown), for forming marginal flanges 19 on the wing portions thereof.

As before,,each of the blanks, as shown in 9 and 10, consists of a pair of channeled Wing portions 20 in terconnected by a relatively narrow portion 21. The wing portions 20 are then bent toward one another at this narrow portion 21 so as to provide a completed slider body, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 having a'pair of spaced-apart wing portions connected atone end by a neckportion.

It will be seen that the contour rolls partially form the edges of the strip so as to conform substantially to Y the, outer contour'of the slider blanks. AH of the rolls together'with the dies, are preferably timed so that each performs its operation on the strip and connected series of slider blanks at the same instant the others are'performing operations on' the strip and other blanks thereof.

7 scribed by a series of successive operations, which includes the steps of progressively feeding a continuous strip of fiat metallic'stock between a 'pair of opposed contour rolls for deforming the marginal edges thereof so as to provide a connected series of partially formed slider blanks, feeding said strip to means for further deforming the same to the shape of a series of interconnected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, and feeding said strip to severing means for cutting individual slider blanks from said strip.

2'. The method of forming sliders of the class described by a series of successive operations, which includes the steps of progressively feeding a continuous strip of round metallic stock between a pair of rolls to flatten the stock, passing said strip between a pair of opposed contour rolls for deforming the marginal edges thereof so, as to provide a connected series of partially formed slider blanks, feeding said strip to means for further deforming the same to the shape of a series of interconnected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, and feeding said strip to severing means portion centrally on one sideof each of said blanks, and

feeding said strip to severing means for cutting individual slider blanks'from said strip.

4. The method of forming sliders of the class described by a series of successive operations, which includesthe steps of progressively feeding a continuous strip of round metallic stock between a pair of rolls to .fiatten the stock, passing said strip between a pair of opposed contour rolls for deforming the marginal edges of the strip so as to provide a connected series of partially formed slider blanks, feeding saidstrip to means for further deforming the same to theshape of a series of interconnected slider blanks which are'substantially of a final deformed shape, feeding said strip to means for forming 'a substantially diamond-shaped raised portion centrally on one side of each of said blanks, and feeding a said strip to severing means for cut-ting individual slider blanks from said strip.

'That is to say, the metallic strip S can be moved a cer-- 'tain distance and then stopped, at which times each piece of equipment performs an operation on the strip and a blank. Then the strip is moved until the 'next'adjacent slider blank is in position to be operated on by the rolls or dies, and so on.

' I As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided an improved methodof forming sliders lfor slide fasteners which is more economical than previous thereby resulting in a saving or metal which isa decided methods, in that, sliders can be produced in a mini-mum advantage and results in a reduction in cost of slider fabri- 5. The method of forming sliders of the class described by a series of successive operations, which includes the steps of progressively feeding a continuous strip of round metallic stock between a pair of flattening rolls and a pair of contour rolls, so as to simultaneously flatten the stock and deform the marginal edges of the strip so as to provide a connected series of partially formed slider blanks,

feeding said strip to means for further deforming the same to the shape of a series of interconnected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, and feeding said strip to severing means for cutting individual slider blanks from said strip.

6. The method of forming sliders of the class described by a series of successive operations, which includes the steps of progressively feeding a continuous strip of round metallic stock to a series of rolling units arranged in tandem, each of said units consisting of a pair of fiattening rolls and a pair of contour rolls arranged at right angles thereto whereby the strip is simultaneously flattened and the marginal edges of the strip deformed as it passes between the flattening rolls and the contour rolls so as to form the strip to the shape of a series of interconnected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, and feeding said strip to severing means for cutting individual slider blanks from said strip.

7. In a method of forming sliders of the class described, the steps consisting of contour rolling the marginal edges of 'a strip so as to provide a series of connected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, each of which has a pair of flat wing portions connected by a relatively narrow portion in strip for-m, severing the blanks apart, bending up marginal flanges on the wing portions, and finally bending the wing portions of each blank toward one another to substantially parallelism to provide a completed slider body.

8. In a method of forming sliders of the class described, the steps consisting of flattening a continuous strip of round stock by rolling, deforming the marginal edges of the strip by contour rolling so as to provide a series of connected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, each of which has a pair of flat wing portions connected 'by' a relatively narrow portion in strip form, severing the blanks apart, bending up marginal flanges on the wing portions, and finally bending the wing portions of each blank toward one another to substantially parallelism to provide a completed slider body.

9. In a method of forming sliders of the class described, the steps consisting of simultaneously flattening and roll deforming the marginal edges of a continuous strip of round metallic stock so as to provide a series of connected slider blanks which are substantially of a final deformed shape, each of which has a pair of flat wing portions connected by a relatively narrow portion in strip form, severing the blanks apart, bending up marginal flanges on the wing portions, and finally bending the wing portions of each blank toward one another to substantially parallelism to provide a completed slider body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,661,144 Sundback Feb. 28, 1928 1,810,377 Sundback June 1 6, 1931 1,901,189 Poux Mar. 14, 1933 2,372,837 Low Apr. 3, 1945 2,844,866 Godfrey July 29, 1958 

